


Coffee Problem

by LunaRowena



Series: Watcher Calendula [5]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 08:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19902598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaRowena/pseuds/LunaRowena
Summary: Cal just goes down to her local coffee shop to work on her master's thesis. It has nothing to do with the beautiful dark haired Dawnstar handing out pamphlets outside the door.





	Coffee Problem

**Author's Note:**

> For Pillars Prompts Weekly #0079: Romance
> 
> Coffee Shop AU  
> Almost Kiss  
> Love at First Sight

Cal had a coffee problem. Every day, the corner coffee shop. Venti drip coffee. It started out as an excuse to sit around and do homework. Her master's thesis wasn't going to write itself. So she'd head down to the coffee shop and sit with Aloth as they both typed away. They'd occasionally bounce ideas off of each other, but with him studying magic and her studying theology and philosophy, there was only so much content overlap. It was mostly for the company.

It started off with the homework and the coffee and the company. And then the Dawnstars showed up outside.

Cal didn't believe in love at first sight. But when she saw the dark haired Dawnstar from across the street she was willing to admit in crush at first sight. So when the woman smiled at her and shoved a religious pamphlet Cal's way, Cal took the thing, nodding like an idiot, and half ran into the coffee shop, her heart pounding, furiously hoping she wasn't blushing.

This had been going on for two weeks.

Taking her pamphlet of the day, Cal ducked into the shop while stuffing the pamphlet on the teachings of Gaun into the back of a folder with the dozen others. Edér and Pallegina looked up from behind the counter as the bell above the door rang. Pallegina nodded to her and started to draw up her usual. Edér had her rung up by the time she got to the register. 

As she handed over the cash, he looked down at the folder she struggled with. "How many of those pamphlets do you have?"

"Uh..." Cal mentally counted back the days. "Thirteen?"

He handed her her change. "Why?"

She dumped the change in the tip jar. "I read the first one. How Eothas slash Gaun fits into the cycle of reincarnation is an angle I should be considering in my thesis. I mean, I'm mostly focusing on how the Pallid Knight is a necessary element of the continuation of the cycle, but I can't discount how Eothas..." Cal trailed off as Pallegina handed over her coffee with an eye roll.

"At least you buy coffee. If they're going to stand on our sidewalk preaching nonsense they could at least have the decency to buy something."

"But," cut in Edér, "Why do you have thirteen?"

"Um, well, it, uh, seems rude to ignore her–them. Ignore them." Cal's face was definitely warm at this point and she tried to hide behind her hair.

"Have you talked to the nice lady?"

"Nope! Thanks for the coffee! Gotta write!" Cal scurried over to her usual corner.

Aloth already sat typing away with his customary mug of tea. He raised a questioning eyebrow as Cal hurried over juggling her folder, coffee, and bag. Cal shrugged with a slight wince as she collapsed in her chair, papers and pamphlets scattering everywhere. She blew a dark strand of hair out her eyes with a huff.

"Do I want to know?" asked Aloth.

"Maybe people should mind their own business," muttered Cal. "So what if I'm an idiot just because she's pretty?"

"This does seem like the time to mind my own business." Aloth took a bite out of a croissant and turned back to his laptop.

It started with the coffee. It should just be the coffee, Cal tried to convince herself as she gathered up her scattered papers and got to work.

The coffee shop was busy enough that Cal didn't look up every time someone entered, but she did when she heard a Readceran accent laughing at the counter. She looked over to see the dark haired Dawnstar leaning on the counter, batting her eyelashes at Edér. Cal quickly looked down, hiding her face behind her hair. It wasn't any of her business, she tried to tell the punch in her gut.

She rewrote the same sentence five times.

Cal was in enough of a fog she missed anyone approaching until the chair next to her scraped across the floor.

"The cashier said you might wanna talk to me?" the dark haired Dawnstar drawled with a smile at Cal.

Cal was going to murder Edér. "Uh, yeah. Although not about the good news of Gaun. I'm kind of taken by Berath. Except kind of about that because I'm writing my master's thesis." Gods, her eyes were beautiful. A rich brown, like a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. Keep it together, Cal.

The woman perked up when Cal mentioned Berath. “That’s alright there.” She took a sip through the straw of her ridiculously whip creamed drink and then leaned forward with a whisper, “Don’t tell Waenglith, but I’d bet you’re loads more interesting to talk to then the general crowd we’re trying to preach to.” She smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Like I’m betting you have an opinion on Bennalto’s Treatise on Death?”

“I think he’s a bit simplistic and, while trying to rectify the overlap between Berath and Eothas, manages to exposit both sides and then never takes a stand.” Cal mentally winced. Good job, insulting the first book she brings up.

The woman took another sip of her sugary drink. “But you have to admit it’s a good introductory text.”

Cal leaned forward, papers falling off her lap. “Sure, if you expect people to never visit the subject again. I have a preference for Yanglith’s Reincarnation. Straightforward, to the point, well researched–”

“And dry as Hel.” The Dawnstar held up one finger. “And a bit biased toward Berath.”

“Well,” Cal shrugged. “I’m a bit biased toward Berath.”

The woman grinned. “Then why do you keep taking all my pamphlets?”

Aloth cleared his throat and stood up. “I think it’s time I got more tea. Watch my laptop, Cal?”

“Sure.” Cal didn’t look away from the dark haired Dawnstar.

The woman blinked. “Golly, where are my manners? I’m Xoti.” She held out her hand.

Calm down Cal, it’s just a handshake. Cal reached out and shook her hand. “Cal. Well, Calendula. But Cal.”

“Okay, Cal.” Xoti smiled again and Cal felt her stomach go all fuzzy. “So you come here often?”

“Uh, yeah.” It was just a harmless question. Not a pick up line. “Aloth and I are working on our master’s theses, and as long as we keep buying coffee they just let us sit here as long as we want.”

Xoti nodded. “I figured I might as well try the place since I’ve spent so much time outside.” She took another sip through her straw.

Cal stared. “What even is that?”

Xoti held up the drink. “Grande iced almond milk white mocha with caramel and toffee syrup and double whip.” She held it out. “Wanna try?”

Try. Her drink. Through her straw. Where her mouth had just been. Was that like kissing by proxy?

Some of Cal’s panic must have shown on her face because Xoti looked at her questioningly. “You don’t have to if you don’t wanna.”

“No! It’s fine!” Cal said too quickly and grabbed the drink. She almost gagged on the sweetness. “This tastes like a candy bar.”

Xoti laughed, “That’s the point.” Her laugh was adorable. A little giggle with a snort at the end.

Stop staring, Cal. Okay, but why not? Her mouth went dry. This was going to go terribly. But she was going to do it. Grabbing one of Xoti’s own pamphlets, she scribbled down her number and handed it back to Xoti. “Just in case you want to talk some more sometime about death. Or get coffee. Or dinner. Or something. Anything, really.”

Xoti took the pamphlet and Cal could swear she slightly blushed. “Ain’t you the sweetest.” She winked as she stood up. “I might just have to take you up on that.”

Breathe, Cal.

“But I should get back to spreading the good news.” She smiled again at Cal. “See you around, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, see you around.”

As Xoti walked out of the shop, Cal fell back in her chair and stared straight ahead. Don’t panic. This was good. This was good, right?

Okay, maybe her problem wasn’t the coffee.


End file.
